When it came time for Emma L. Berndt '00 to decide on a college, she didn't gallivant off to Stanford, Princeton or Yale.

Instead, she opted to continue her education at her local community college--Harvard.

Berndt is just one of five first-years hailing from the shady side-walks of residential Cambridge. Between five and 10 Cantabrigians come to Harvard each year, according to students and guidance counselors. In the Class of 1997, for instance, eight Cambridge residents were admitted.

"Compared to a lot of Ivy Leagues, it's usually easier [for Cantabrigians] to get in," Emily F. Gregory '00, a former Davis Square resident, says.

"The person from Cambridge [would be accepted], everything being equal," agrees Dr. Samuel Framondi, who retired last June after 26 years as a guidance counselor in Cambridge schools.

For these students, though, the decision to enroll at Harvard wasn't always easy. Many agonized over accepting the College's offer of admission, knowing that attending a college so close to home brings a special set of comforts and disadvantages.

Chloe L. Drew '00, one of Gregory's high school pals, says she experienced hesitation when she was accepted. But she eventually got used to the idea, and says she's delighted with the choice she made.

"Now that I'm here, I love being in my hometown," says Drew. "I think it's a great place to be."

Local Color

One of the benefits of staying in Cambridge, Drew says, is the city's beauty. Many students say they love staying close to the Charles River and the grassy lawns of the Common.

And remaining in town means that students from Cambridge are still able to frequent their one-time high school haunts.

Take Harvard Square. During freshman week, when most first-years learned the difference between "inbound" and "outbound," Cambridge students nonchalantly whipped out their T passes.

And while other Harvardians gawked at the grunge-wearing teenagers in the "pit," Cambridge students merrily waved to their old high school buddies.

But for most students from Cambridge, Harvard Square is no longer a hip and exciting location. While it can still be fun, Gregory says, its novelty started to wear off sometime around seventh grade.

Though long-time Cantabrigians may tire of the traditional Harvard Square hangouts, they do have the option of escaping to lesser-known spots.